Super quick and easy wireless question

[MojoInKansas]

If I've got 2 PC's to network and share a DSL connection with wirelessly, do I NEED a router? Or can I simply run a proxy server on one of the machines (the one the DSL modem is connected to)? I'm looking for the CHEEP way out. In other words, does a wireless LAN work the same way a wired one does as far as routing, etc?

 

[ekÆsine]

you mean ICS internet connection sharing where 1 machine acts as internet sharing server/ gateway? all you woud need is 2 network cards. 1 card plugs into DSL modem, other plugs to your other machine that will share connection with you. windows will guide you through the process of setting up ICS through a wizard. use the windows help & support, search ICS. what OS are you using?

 

[MojoInKansas]

it's WIN2K on both... NOT running Microsoft's ICS. It's basically like this now. DSL modem to NIC 1 on machine 1. NIC 2 on machine 1 is currently connected to a single NIC on machine 2 via a crossover cable... file/printer sharing works great, but couldn't share DSL via ICS... so I just run a little proxy server on machine 1 that machine 2 looks for. I basically just want to replace the crossover cable with a couple of wireless NIC's. It SEEMS like it should work without a router, since it does so just fine now. The only real difference is gonna be wireless instaed of a long crossover. I hope this all makes sense. LOL

 

[mikesgroovin]

I see what you are saying. The two wireless network cards need an access point to connect to. With physical cabling, you have a choice to have the cables to either go to a central device such as a switch or hub, or the cable can just go from one PC to the other. But with wireless cards, they cannot interact with each other unless they have an access point to connect to. If you are going to purchse two wireless network adapters already, why not purchase a wireless router?

-Mike

 

[MojoInKansas]

so basically run the DSL modem to the router, and then point both wireless nics to the router address? that's all i'd need? (i assume the router acts as an access point in that case)

 

[mikesgroovin]

Yes, run the network cable from the DSL modem to the internet or WAN port on the wireless router. Yes, also correct....All wireless routers have a built in access point for your wireless cards to connect to.

-Mike

 

[MojoInKansas]

I appreciate the help. Thanks, man.

 

[mikesgroovin]

Not a problem. You should be able to purchase two wireless cards and a wireless router for about $150 or so. Hope that's within your limit you were hoping for.

-Mike

 

[MojoInKansas]

it's funny. i was trying to do it cheap for my wife's sake... then she realized she didn't want me running cables all over the place... so SHE told me to spend the bucks... lol
thanks again

 

[ekÆsine]

oops, sorry i didn't see that you had wireless hardware. i saw cheap and wireless and i guess my brain could not compute the 2 things together. wireless is never cheap